Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, I don't make money from this fic.
February 13, 1977 Hogwarts, Scotland- Gryffindor Common Room
Hermione sat in the common room with Lily, checking herself over once again before Lily smacked her hand away from her already-frizzing hair.
"Stop touching it. It's humid enough, touching your hair will only make it worse." Lily scolded. Hermione nodded, putting her hands in her lap. "And don't worry." she told her.
"How can I not? This is our first date since Halloween." Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"And this is my first date with James, ever." Lily said.
"And you're more nervous than an erumpent in a china shop." Hermione said, crossing her arms over her chest. Lily sighed.
"Is it that obvious?" She asked, Hermione smiled softly and nodded. "Blimey, Hermione, I actually like him." She said, her voice sounding distressed. Hermione giggled.
"He's really not that bad, you know? He can be really sweet." She told her.
"Talking about me, are you?" Sirius asked, trodding down the stairs and leaning on the back of the couch between the two girls. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"You? Sweet? Never." Lily told him. Sirius put a hand to his chest in mock insult.
"You wound me." He exclaimed. Hermione took the opportunity to look him over. He wore Muggle clothes, like he often did on the weekends, and just like always, it was jeans and a t-shirt. She noticed that he was wearing the leather jacket James had gotten him for Christmas, as well as the boots that Hermione had asked James to get him for her. His wand was stuck into his front pocket, and his long black hair actually looked like it had been brushed.
Hermione was glad they'd decided to go on their Valentine's Day date a day early. She was busy enough with N.E.W.T classes and the occasional Slug Club dinners during the week. It also gave her a reason to wear the new dress she'd gotten as a present from Aunt Euphemia. She smoothed out imaginary wrinkles from the navy blue A-line skirt as she stood up from the couch.
"Where's James? Wasn't he supposed to meet Lils here, too?" Hermione asked, looking up to the balcony to see if James was on his way down.
"About that-" Sirius started,grinning widely, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. "He had a bit of a- erm, failed experiment. He was trying something new with his hair, and-"
"And he's turned it pink." Remus said, appearing from the doorway to the boys' dormitories.
"Pink?" Sirius said, frowning. "It was bright red a few moments ago!"
"Apparently, when dealing with this sort of charm, colorvaria only does so much." Remus said with as shrug. "It lightened the color, but now his hair is a baby pink. The charm will wear off in a few days, but right now he's too embarrassed to leave the room."
"You tell him that he has one chance to get his arse down here, pink hair or no, and take me to Hogsmeade." Lily said, hands on her hips. Sirius grinned and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
"Good luck with that." Sirius said, leaning against the couch again. "You know how James is, once he's made up his mind-"
Lily shoved past him, up the stairs to the landing, before grabbing Remus by the arm and dragging him in the direction of the boys' dormitories.
"Should we go before they get back?" Hermione asked Sirius, half amused, half worried.
"No, I want to see how this turns out." Sirius said, pushing away from the couch and reaching out to Hermione. He'd been better about holding her hand when they walked to and from classes, and he'd even gotten to the point that he'd wrap an arm around her waist. Every time he got close, Hermione blushed furiously and dropped her gaze.
Sirius wound a hand around her waist, pulling her closer. She looked down, but he chuckled and pulled her chin up, grey eyes locking with brown.
"Why do you do that?" He asked softly, running his thumb along her chin. She shivered a bit at his touch.
"I- don't know." Hermione said.
"Well, that's a first. Hermione Potter, not knowing something?" Sirius smirked down at her.
"It happens." she said, defensively, meeting his gaze full force.
"There's my girl." Sirius said, and Hermione felt herself melt, a warm glow radiating from her chest. His girl. That felt good. Sirius turned when they heard voices coming from the boys' dorms, though he kept his hand around her waist.
"- and honestly, James, you've spent the last three years asking me out incessantly. Do you really think that, of all the reasons I wouldn't want to be seen with you in public, it would be because of your pink hair?"
"Really a moral booster, there, eh, Lils?" James muttered. She smiled at him, then called down to Hermione and Sirius.
"You two can go ahead. I don't need back up anymore." Lily said. Sirius snorted, but Hermione merely smiled and nodded.
"You're going to Hogsmeade, right?" Hermione asked.
"Sure are. What are you two doing?" She asked.
"I've no idea." Hermione said, glancing to Sirius.
"And I plan on keeping it that way." He said, turning to leave. "You kids have fun now, you hear?" he called back to Lily and James.
"Remember what I said, Pads. Be careful." James said, a warning in his tone. Hermione quirked an eyebrow up at Sirius as he led them away.
"Always am."
Later, The Astronomy Tower
Hermione found herself leaning on the railing of the Astronomy Tower, her head resting on Sirius's shoulder. They'd stood like this for the better part of an hour, watching the sunset on the horizon. They'd watched Lily and James make their way down the winding path to Hogsmeade, talking and laughing about the shade of James's hair and how Lily had marched into the boys' dorm. Once the sun had set, though, the atmosphere changed.
The conversation had lulled and Sirius had begun to say more with physical touch than with words. Every now and again he'd reach out and stroke her face, or run a hand down her side. Hermione loved being this close to him, but she had a few things on her mind.
"Why do you do that?" She echoed his question from earlier. He'd just ran his hand over her back, and while it felt good, it seemed to be something he did subconsciously.
"Hmh?" Sirius asked, seemingly zoned out. So it was subconscious. He seemed to realized what she was talking about and shook his head as if to clear it.
"Oh, I- um. This might sound a little-" He sighed. "Creepy? Weird? Desperate? A mix thereof?" He said, sounding defeated.
"Try me." Hermione smirked.
"I supposed it's to make sure you're still there." Sirius said, looking up at the moon instead of at her. It was a waning crescent, the new moon due to rise that week. Hermione looked him over in the moonlight, before turning him to face her and pulling him down into a kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands easily rested upon her waist. The kiss was soft and sweet, but there was a passion there that Hermione hadn't experienced before - not that she'd had much experience kissing boys. When they broke apart, Sirius rested his forehead against her's, looking into her eyes.
"I'm not going anywhere, Sirius." She said, happy that she didn't have to lie about that. She watched him smile lazily before he kissed her forehead, pulling her close against his chest. They stood like that for a few moments before Hermione pulled back a bit, to look up at him.
"So I'm still insanely curious. Why did James tell you to be careful?" Hermione asked. She watched a slow grin form across his features and almost instantly regretted asking.
"I'd told him what I had planned, of course. Part of it is a bit- well, he knows you don't like it." He told her.
"Okay." Hermione said, unwinding her arms from his neck and taking a step away from him. "So what is it?" She asked. He grinned, then pulled something out of his back pocket. He took his wand out of his front pocket and waved it.
"Engorgio." He muttered. The tiny object grew exponentially, until Sirius stood, holding James's Nimbus 1001. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Oh no. You are not getting me on that death trap." Hermione exclaimed.
"Come on, 'Mione. I'll be right there with you. I'll even sit behind you and hold you if you want?" Sirius pled. Hermione thought that over, and while it was nice to think about being that close to him, she didn't want to think about being that far off the ground. He pulled her close to him, placing a kiss on the side of her head. "We spend so much time looking up at the stars. Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to be up there with them?" Sirius whispered in her ear.
His proximity and his word had a combined effect on her that she wasn't quite able to understand, but it was intoxicating. She bit her bottom lip, looking up at him sheepishly.
"Fine. But a short ride! It's cold out tonight." Hermione said.
"I'll keep you warm, love." Sirius smirked, his voice dropping even lower than usual. Hermione blushed and mounted the broom , Sirius holding her closely from behind before kicking off.
They flew across the grounds in silence for a few moments, Hermione's knuckles white on the handle. Her eyes were tightly closed, and though Sirius's body was curled around her own, she was still freezing when they flew over the lake. At last, Sirius came to hover over the Forbidden Forest.
"The stars are brighter if you open your eyes, love." Sirius murmured in her ear, removing his hands from the broom to wrap his arms around Hermione.
"Did you have to let go of the broom?" Hermione asked, her eyes shooting open wide, panicked, she turned her head to look at him, but he just chuckled.
"It got you to open your eyes, didn't it?" He asked, then nodded to their view. "Look."
Hermione marvelled at the sight before her; it was a clear night with practically no light pollution, and with the waning moon low in the sky, the stars were bright and clear. She'd spent the past six years looking up at the night skies once a week and charting the heavenly bodies' movement across the night sky. Yet, being this far from the ground, even higher than the Astronomy Tower, she'd never felt more at peace.
"That's better, isn't it?" Sirius murmured into her ear. One of his hands found its way into her hair and started playing with her curls.
"How did you know I'd like this?" Hermione asked, relaxing into him a bit.
"Instinct, I guess." he said. "We have so much in common, I knew part of you would enjoy this at least a little." Hermione allowed that.
"Do you ever worry that I'll get boring?" Hermione asked suddenly. "With us having so much in common, that is?" Sirius thought for a moment on that question.
"No. I don't know how you could possibly get boring. In the short time I've known you, you've made friends with all of my friends, given my enemies a run for their money, reunited me with my brother, and have me convinced you're a least slightly a Seer. No, Hermione, I'm not worried about you getting boring." He told her. A wave of guilt washed over her. She'd have to tell him eventually. If they were to continue their relationship in any sort of real, meaningful way, she knew she'd have to tell him. But not tonight. There was too much at stake, and he didn't need to know yet.
He knows enough, she told herself. That'll have to do for now.